At six years old, Kai was like any other child: vivacious, curious, and ready to take on the world. But when unexplained symptoms left him constantly ill, his family grew concerned. One morning, he woke up with a large lump on his abdomen, and his mother knew they needed to go straight to the hospital.
Diagnostic tests found it was a Wilms tumor, also called nephroblastoma, consuming his left kidney. Kai was rushed to surgery to have it removed and then underwent four months of outpatient chemotherapy.
Kai was in remission for almost three years before a follow-up appointment found that the cancer had returned. This led to more surgeries, six months of outpatient chemotherapy, and 13 radiation sessions. Thankfully, since completing treatment in 2009, Kai is cancer-free and living a normal, healthy life.
Although Kai was very young during this difficult period, he now he looks back on that time with a sense of awe.
“I can recall how hope was the only thing that was given space and the time of day. And that's something I'm grateful for in retrospect, as a childhood cancer survivor.”
Advocacy was another common theme during his cancer experience as Kai witnessed his and other patients’ parents advocating for their child's care. He reflected that “it takes a village.”
Today, he sees that same spirit reflected in events such as his state's Cancer Action Day and Cancer Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., where volunteers come together to advocate for policies that improve the lives of people impacted by cancer. For Kai, these events demonstrate the power of communities united around a common goal.
One issue he is especially passionate about is increasing federal funding for cancer research, particularly research focused on childhood cancer. Kai traveled from his home of Northfield, Minnesota to Washington, D.C., in February 2026 as part of the annual Alliance for Childhood Cancer Action Days to share his story with members of Congress and urge them to prioritize childhood cancer research.
“I know I wouldn't be here without that research, time, and commitment. I'm very grateful to be able to use my voice to do whatever I can now to lift up other young kids as they experience these horrible battles.”
While survivorship has brought challenges, including anxiety stemmin
g from childhood trauma and feelings of survivor's guilt, Kai chooses to focus on the positive impact he can make by taking what he learned from his experiences to make sure no other patient or their loved ones have to go through the same thing.
“I get to be linked to such an incredible community that wants to make life better for people who are in some of the most unfortunate circumstances.” When speaking to lawmakers, Kai knows that the stories we share are often what make the biggest impact for lawmakers. Cancer research funding isn’t a line in a budget—it’s about saving lives.
“For me, it's [important to honor] the people that I grew up with who are no longer here that I went through my battles with, and getting to say [to lawmakers], ‘hey, research dollars going here can make a tangible impact.’” Kai hopes more people will join him in uplifting their stories and working to make cancer a national priority.
After months of delay and hard negotiations, Congress has finally passed a funding bill! The bill includes a small increase for cancer research and prevention programs.